Schmidt, Inos power team to All-Star win

Blue Team players watch the Red Team’s Andy Mortos go up for a shot during the second quarter of the All-Star Game in the JEM/Mobil caging last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

TanHoldings’ Douglas Schmidt and Triple J’s Perry Inos caught fire in the All-Star Game in the JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League to help the Red Team ease past the Blue Team, 105-61, last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Schmidt scored 31 points, while Inos chipped in 22 for the Red Team, whose players were from squads that are in Pool A of the league.

Schmidt, who was eventually named All-Star Game MVP, nailed the Red Team’s last 11 points in the first quarter and finished the period with 13 to lift his squad to a 22-19 advantage. The Blue Team kept the Red Team within striking distance despite Schmidt’s early surge after playing balance offense in the opening 10 minutes of play.

However, an offensive meltdown in the second quarter sealed the Blue Team’s doom, while the Red Team continued to pile up points with Schmidt and Inos hitting their targets en route to the 44-point winning margin.

Schmidt added 9 points as he outgunned the entire Blue Team (8 points) and the Red Team more than doubled its foe’s production in the second quarter. Inos added 5 points and Jason Reyes, Ronald Rueda, and Andy Mortos combined for 12 to hand the Red Team a commanding 48-27 advantage at the break.

The Red Team then threw the killer blows in the third canto, as the squad exploded for 33 points to finish off the Blue Team, which improved its scoring a bit, but was still way behind after making 14 markers. Inos and Schmidt again drew a lot of help from their teammates in the third quarter to break the Blue Team’s back.

Despite enjoying a 40-point lead entering the fourth canto, 81-41, Inos showed no mercy to the Blue Team, as he drilled 13 points in the final frame to cap the one-sided game.

Joining Inos and Schmidt on the list of Red Team players who scored in twin digits were Mortos, Reyes, and Sonn Macaranas. Moros tallied 14 points, while Reyes and Macaranas had 12 and 10, respectively.

Michael Cabanas paced the Blue Team with his 11 markers, while Alvin Almario and Edward Armia contributed 10 each.

Meanwhile, the single-elimination playoffs in the JEM/Mobil caging will begin today with the No. 2 seed Mariana Resort taking on No. 15 ranked Triple J at 6:30pm and No. 12 McDonald’s battling No. 5 Top Development, Inc. in the second match at 8pm.

Mariana Resort is obviously highly favored against Triple J, as the former swept all its seven games in Pool B, while the latter was winless in Pool A. In the other match, TDI has the slight advantage, record-wise, with its 5-2 mark against McDonald’s’ 3-4 slate.

Red Team 105 – Schmidt 31, Inos 22, Mortos 14, Reyes 12, Macaranas 10, Rueda 9, Sanciangco 6.

Blue Team 61 – Cabanas 11, Almario 10, Armia 10, Gallardo 6, Rejano 5, Velasco 4, Reyes 4, Alfonso 3, Jinang 3, Kani 2, Fidelino 2.

Scoring by quarters: 22-19, 48-27, 81-41, 105-61.